If you are into domesticated birds, the Columbian Wyandotte chicken is a great choice for new and experienced owner. They are calm, easy to train, great at finding food, and built to handle bad weathers.
Columbian Wyandotte Overview
Before we get into how this bird looks and acts and how to care for it, let’s take a quick look at what to expect.
| Weight | 6 to 9 pounds |
| Appearance | Solid white with a collar of dark feathers |
| lifespan | 5 to 12 years |
| Egg Production | 4 eggs weekly, 200 annually |
| Egg Color | Brown |
| Good for Beginners? | Yes |
| Minimum Coop Size | 6 square feet per bird |
| Price | $3 to $20 per chick |
History Of Columbian Wyandotte Chicken
In the 1800s, few chicken types could do more than one thing. Chicken keepers bred the first Wyandotte chicken in the 1870s. It was meant to be good for both meat and eggs. Its big body and thick feathers also help it survive the cold winters in the north.
Columbian Wyandottes are a chicken breed created by crossing two or more different types of chickens. It is thought that Brahmas and Hamburgs may have been involved in creating the breed, though the exact mix is unknown.
Farmers in the northern states still like this breed of dog. People love these chickens because they lay eggs and/or meat.
Appearance Of Columbian Wyandotte Chicken
Instead of having laced feathers, the Columbian Wyandotte chicken has mostly white feathers with a black “collar” around its neck and black tail feathers sticking out among the white.
The way the colors on this chicken clash is beautiful.
Silver laced Wyandottes are stunning to look at because they have detailed feathering around blue, silver, or gold feathers. In some color types, the legs are even blue.
Wyandottes seem to float down the runway with their round bodies and strut around the yard.
They look like they know how beautiful they are. The columbian Wyandotte’s feathers are very loose on its body, which makes it look round and fluffy.
Wyandottes wear a rose comb, which, to be honest, doesn’t look like a rose at all. On the other hand, the bright red color and bubbled look of the comb make it look like one.Rose combs are flat and get very close to the chicken’s head, which makes them good for places where it gets wind chills and burns.
It’s not enough that they are beautiful; they also come in fun-size! The little brothers and sisters of the big birds are the bantams. Many breeds come in both big and little forms.
Size
As a medium to big chicken that weighs about 7 pounds. The columbian Wyandotte is a great choice for people who want a breed that can do more than one thing.
Even though they are a bigger type and are considered pretty fat. They are very graceful birds that walk with pride.
Because they look big, their loose feathers may also make them look bigger than they are. Because of this, care must be taken to make sure they are not underfed.
Personality
Columbian Wyandottes are great chickens for first-time chicken owners because they are calm. They are calm and nice most of the time. But they are also very interested. They like to discover new places, which can lead to trouble if they are not limited. They will be safe and happy in a big area that meets all of their needs.
Noise Levels
The Columbian Wyandotte chicken is a calm bird. Most of the time, they don’t make much noise besides the eggs and rooster calls that everyone knows.
This makes them great birds if you live in a city with neighbors who might be rude.
Egg Production Of Columbian Wyandotte Chicken
Wyandotte from Columbia sings for her food. A healthy hen can lay about 200 to 250 eggs a year and keep laying eggs all winter long because they are very cold.
Their eggs are a beautiful light brown color that sometimes has a pink tint. Other eggs are a rich brown color that looks like hot cocoa.
Medium sized eggs are great for making toast in the morning.
Meat
Columbian Wyandotte chickens are big enough to be thought of as a chicken that can do more than one thing. On the other hand, you shouldn’t compare a dressed Wyandotte to a normal grill, like a Cornish cross.
In order to make Cornish Crosses look “appetizing,” they have been improved. Most likely, a normal grill will have breasts that are too big for its body and skin that is white. Some breeds have smaller breasts and yellow skin, which some people might find ugly but is perfectly normal.
Feeding
Columbian wyandotte chickens need to start with food with a lot of protein because they need to grow a lot. The best chicken starter has at least 20% protein. After that, you can slowly switch your chicks to a feed with less protein when they are 16 to 20 weeks old. Most grown hens need a 16% layer feed.
Hens also need extra calcium in their food. So they can get extra calcium, you can give them oyster shells in a different food container. The eggs your hens lay will be better if you feed them oysters. A better protein chicken feed can help birds that are molting.
Columbian Wyandotte chicken can also get good nutrients from the plants they find while hunting. They will still pick up plants, bugs, and other things they find, even if they are fed a lot. Getting food from the ground is important for chickens and a great way for them to get extra nutrients.
No matter what kind of chickens you care for, they should always have clean water available. To keep your birds healthy, change the water whenever it has dirt and other things.
Coop Setup Of Columbian Wyandotte Chicken
These birds need a lot of room because they are big. The least place they need is four to six square feet, but giving them a little more just in case is better. Also, each chicken should have eight to ten inches of room to roost inside the coop.
During the summer, hens will want a lot of room to move around, but they’ll stick together to stay warm when it’s warm outside. The nest boxes they use should be 12 inches by 12 inches. When Columbian Wyandottes are free to roam, they love it. They can’t get away from predators, so a big fenced-in area is a good place for them to spend time outside. The fence doesn’t need to be very tall to keep these birds safe because they can’t fly very well.
These birds might pick up bad habits if they need more room inside or outside. When hens are bored, they might nibble on each other’s feathers. That is why having too much space is better than not having enough.
Summary
For family farms and backyards, the Columbian Wyandotte is a good pick. They lay many eggs, don’t need much care, and can find food. The northern US has loved Wyandotte’s for a long time because they can live in cold places. They stay very warm in our long, sometimes hard winters thanks to the rose comb and thick feathers on their heads.